Obama Cup: Eagles Stranded In America
Nigeria’s Super Eagles are stranded in the United States of America after the organisers of an invitational tournament, tagged; Obama Cup again postponed the competition.
Costa Rica and Panama were earlier slated to play the tournament’s opening match this afternoon before the Eagles take on Mexico’s senior team at the Cotton Bowl Soccer Stadium in Dallas at 7pm today, 1am, tomorrow morning in Nigeria.
But Coach Samson Siasia’s plan to test the players he took to the US was truncated when the organisers announced the event has been moved to 12-13 March.
Siasia, it was gathered has been running from pillar to post to arrange alternative friendlies for the country’s Team B before they return to Nigeria.
Demola Olajire, the Image Maker of Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, told P.M.Sportsonline that Siasia and his team are unhappy about the development and would return to Nigeria immediately.
“The NFF will soon make an official statement on its stand about the postponed tournament in America. But, we are expecting our team back in Nigeria tomorrow,” Olajire said.
Siasia made it very clear he has to be back in Nigeria to prepare for a very important Nations Cup qualifier against Ethiopia next month, and so he cannot afford to hang around the US for another two weeks.
The coach had planned to use this severally postponed tournament to get a closer look at Nigeria Premier League players, he would include in his squad for the Ethiopia clash.
Several local media reports have long questioned the credibility of the US tournament, which was expected to feature Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama and Nigeria.
By Tunde Oyedele
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